Category: Materials

1. identify (a) what is shown in the images below and (b) what kind of microscope was used to obtain the images? Although there are many kinds of microscopes, we’ll only be concerned with a handful; light microscopes: bright field and fluorescence, electron microscopes: scanning and transmission.A.
Why does this image have color? Continue reading In Class Nov. 1: Microscope Images & Depictions of Cells

Cells often get attention in the media for the impressive and problematic things they can do. Here’s a nice video by PBS Deep Look that showcases the amazing abilities of a particular kind of cell found in cuttlefish, octopi and squids: chromatophores.

As we watch this video, consider the following questions: What do these cells have that others typically don’t? What must they have that many or all cells usually have?

To start off our discussion on the properties of life, here’s something fun. In this nicely done mockumentary The Majestic Plastic Bag, which properties of life does the bag have and which does it lack? What does the bag have in common with living things?

This video by Climate Wisconsin gives us a nice glimpse at the value of phenomenology in our lives and in our society. We’ll springboard off these ideas to work on the Naturalist Perspectives portion of the course.

Today, we’ll start in on the 1971 science fiction film The Andromeda Strain which we’ll watch throughout the semester as a way to consider topics we’ll cover in this course. There’s no need for you to obtain this film (unless you’ve missed part of it in class or would like to review it) but do take note of anything you see in the film that you feel relates to our course.